Dante couldn't move from the spot. His whole body hurt, and his chest tightened with each breath. It was a struggle to even open his eyes.
"You were lucky, today. Get your pathetic self out of here", A soldier hissed, kicking him over. Dante let out a weak groan.
Almira stopped in front of Kitanna. "Happy now, or do you want me to carry him too?".
"Thank you", Kitanna smiled. Almira rolled her eyes and walked away. The maid quickly rushed to Dante when she noticed the soldiers ganging up to kick him around.
"Enough!" She ordered. They moved away in shock, surprised that the two gorgeous women were going out of their way to save him. "You will harm him no further! Pick him up and follow me".
The soldiers exchanged glances. Her beautiful emerald eyes burned like a flame, challenging them to defy her. They cowered, pulling Dante by his hands off the floor.
Kitanna wasn't sure where to take him. Bringing him to Almira's chambers would enrage the princess. She had to find a safe place, away from the soldier's prying eyes, to take care of his internal wounds. He would have to recover normally from the rest to avoid suspicion.
"Uh mm…leave him in the garden," Kitanna said, even though she was a bit skeptical. There was nowhere else to take him.
They did as ordered and stood aside.
"Anything else?" She asked, frantically. The men took their leave immediately, afraid to agitate her.
Kitanna waited until they were gone, before checking the dying man.
"Are you awake? Can you hear me?" She asked. He didn't respond. She called out to him again, but he remained motionless. She grabbed his hand, pushing back the oversized clothes to check his pulse. She yanked the gloves off and froze at the sight of the hairy hand.
"What the…!" She mumbled.
Kitanna reached for the hair on his face, then snapped out of it immediately. Now was not the time to feed her curiosity. She had to save him first.
Resting her hands on his chest, she shut her eyes, releasing the magic within her. She let out a low melodic hum, moving her hands along with the tune.
Dante felt a strange surge of energy within him. The beautiful tune penetrating his ears felt like a stream of healing water, washing off his pain as it took control of his body.
Kitanna noticed he was regaining consciousness and quickly let go. She ran to the kitchen to join the princess.
Almira was frying the second set of fish when Kitanna came running in. The princess watched the panting girl grimly.
"You healed him, didn't you?" She stated. Kitanna blinked, staring like a deer caught in headlights.
"H-How did you know?" Kitanna asked slowly. Almira turned off the cooker.
'Why'd you do it? You don't even know him", Almira ignored her question.
"You're avoiding my question", Kitanna stared.
"I'm not avoiding it, I just ignored it. Don't make me repeat my question".
Kitanna sighed, slouching her shoulders. She had nothing to hide. "I just couldn't leave him. Sympathy, I guess".
"Ironic," Almira commented. Kitanna knew what the princess was referring to. It made her upset. Just because she was a siren didn't make sympathy alien to her.
"Because I am born a siren doesn't necessarily make me evil and ruthless. You, on the other hand, didn't need to be a siren to be evil. They just couldn't find a more befitting specie to fix you in" Kitanna spat and stormed out.
Almira placed the fish carefully on her plate, then dropped them on the kitchen island.
She glanced at the door and scoffed, "so dramatic".
She pulled a stool, ready to devour her meal, when someone snatched the plate and threw the fish on the floor. Almira's eyes darkened as Kimorra stomped on it, crushing every one of them with her feet.
"My bad! Was that your breakfast?" Kimorra taunted. Almira's sea foam eyes were now completely dark with rage.
"It was, now it's going to be yours".
In a split second, she slammed Kimorra's head on the island and shoved her to the floor.
Kimorra cried out, bleeding from the side of her head. Almira didn't give her the chance to recover. Grabbing her hair in a strong grip, she forced Kimorra's face into the crushed fish.
"Eat it," She ordered.
"Let go of me, you crazy woman!" Kimorra cried out. Almira yanked her head back up and grabbed a fistful of the fish.
Kimorra struggled to break free as Almira forced the fish into her mouth.
"My princess!" Kitanna gasped at the door. She hurried to the scene and tried to pull Almira away from Kimorra.
Almira refused to let go. She had slammed her hand over Kimorra's mouth, after forcing all the fish she crushed into her mouth, to prevent the girl from spitting it out.
"Let go of her, please… Princess, you have to let go, please…" Kitanna pleaded, struggling to pull back the angry woman. Kimorra made muffled sounds, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You are going to choke her to death. Please let her go" Kitanna pleaded, desperately.
"Good, let her die, so she doesn't go about crushing food", Almira retorted. It was when Kimorra started to make muffled coughs that Almira let go.
Kimorra spat the fish out, while Kitanna sighed in relief. She cursed herself for letting her emotions control her. Not only did she address the princess insolently, but she left, knowing how short-tempered and irrational the princess go be when irritated.
Only she assumed she would be the victim, not the prince's ex-bride. Almira walked out of the kitchen with annoyance. She had taken her time to prepare the fish, only for a random person to take out their bitterness on her breakfast.
"Hey", Prince Xander, appeared in front of her suddenly.
"I just made your bride eat from the floor, provoke me, and you'll be eating these sands", Almira snapped, walking away.
Xander was stunned into speechlessness. His mind replayed her words, and he went searching for Kimorra.
A maid directed him to the kitchen, where he found her on the floor, bleeding from the side of her head and spitting out food.
"Kim." He gasped. Kimorra looked at him with teary eyes when he tried to help her up. "What happened?".
"The animal you left me for, did this to me" she spat.
As much as he wanted to doubt her words, he couldn't because Almira had already confessed it.
"I know. What did you do to make her attack you?" Xander asked. Kimorra looked at him with disbelief. She smacked his hands off her and stood up.
"Next time, don't bother asking".